Aughrane Castle, also known as Castle Kelly, Ballygar, Co Galway – demolished 1951
Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses.[originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978; Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.]
p. 15. “(O’Kelly/LG1863; Bagot/IFR) A castellated house of c19 appearance; little bartizans at corners, plain windows with hood mouldings, simple battlemented porch. Gabled range at one end and gabled towers behind.”
http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-list.jsp?letter=A
A 16th century tower house with 19th century additions. Castle-Kelly is recorded by Wilson as the seat of Denis Kelly in 1786. Lithographs of the entrance to Castle Kelly, Castle Kelly and Ballygar town are included in the sales rental of 1863. It was bought by the Bagots, sold by them to the Department of Agriculture in 1910 and demolished in 1919. Parts of the demesne are now owned by Coillte, the Forestry Service.
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| Castle Kelly alias Aughrane Castle. Image: courtesy of Dr. Patrick Melvin & Eamonn de Burca/Skehana & District Heritage |
The house consisted of an ancient, perhaps 16th century, tower which was extended in later centuries. The three-storey block with a great gable end rising into a stack of five conjoined chimneys represents an 18th century addition. The house was then turned into a ‘beautiful and commanding modern Mansion’ by further battlemented additions in the mid 19th century, reputedly by James Pain of Limerick for Denis Kelly. It is said that debris from a nearby monastic site was used as building stone, although the surface was of new cut ashlar. The house had little bartizans at the corners, plain windows with hood moulds and a simple battlemented porch. The estate was sold by the Encumbered Estates Court in 1863, and thereafter the house was known as Aughrane Castle. A gate lodge was designed by James Forth Kempster in 1871-72 for Christopher Neville Bagot, the new owner, at a cost of £300. In 1904, when the house was advertised for sale, it was noted that the old castle ‘has some interesting old decorated ceilings and oak floors’. The accommodation then comprised an entrance porch and inner hall with Gothic grand staircase; spacious drawing room, library, dining room, writing room, eight family bedrooms, bath room, dressing room, and thirteen servants’ bedrooms, as well as the usual domestic offices.
In 1909, following a disastrous bog slide on the estate, in which one person was killed and eight families were rendered homeless and unemployed, the estate was sold to the Estates Commissioners, and a school of forestry was established in the house and surrounding grounds by the Board of Agriculture. On 15 May 1921, however, the house was burned down by a gang of 30 armed men, who evacuated the caretaker at gunpoint and then systematically doused the furniture with petrol; only the external walls were left standing. The Board of Agriculture filed a claim for £10,000 compensation under the Malicious Injuries Act, but it not clear whether this was ever paid.
Descent: Timothy O’Kelly (fl. 1566); to son, Rory O’Kelly (fl. 1590); to son, Capt. Colla O’Kelly (d. 1615); to son, Col. John Kelly (d. 1674); to son, Col. Charles Kelly; to son, Capt. Denis Kelly (d. 1740); to kinsman, John Kelly (d. 1748); to son, Denis Kelly (d. 1794); to son, John Kelly (d. 1813); to brother, Rev. Andrew Armstrong Kelly (1763-1849); to son, Denis Henry Kelly (1797-1877); sold in Encumbered Estates Court, 1863, to Christopher Neville Bagot (d. 1877); after lengthy legal proceedings to brother, John Lloyd Neville Bagot (1814-90); to son, Thomas Lloyd Neville Bagot (1848-90); to son, Milo Victor Neville Bagot (1880-1913); sold to Estates Commissioners, 1909, and handed over to Board of Agriculture, 1909; burned 1921.
Castle Kelly was demolished in 1951
http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2015/03/aughrane-castle.html
THE BAGOTS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY GALWAY, WITH 19,303 ACRES
The direct ancestor of this family was SIR ROBERT BAGOD, born in 1213, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, 1274, who obtained a grant of the manor of The Rath, near Dublin (known today as Baggotrath; and also the lands of Baggotstown in County Limerick.
Sir Robert died after 1298.
His lineal descendant,
EDWARD BAGOT (1620-1711), of Harristown, King’s County, and Walterstown, County Kildare, Royal Commissioner for King’s County, 1663, High Sheriff of County Kildare, 1677, King’s County, 1680, married, in 1659, Catherine, daughter of William Colborne, of Great Connell, County Kildare, and had issue,
MILO, his heir;
Arthur;
Christopher;
Elizabeth.
The eldest son,
COLONEL MILO BAGOT (1660-1730), of Ard, Newtown, and Kilcoursey, wedded, in 1700, Margaret, daughter of Edmond and sister of Colonel Andrew Armstrong, of Mauricetown, County Kildare, and had issue,
JOHN, his heir;
Michael;
Charles, ancestor of BAGOT of Kilcoursey;
Elizabeth; Mary.
The eldest son,
JOHN BAGOT (1702-60), of Ard, King’s County, espoused, in 1728, Mary Herbert, of Durrow Abbey, King’s County, and had issue,
Milo, dsp;
William, dsp;
Charles, dsp;
JOHN LLOYD, of whom hereafter;
Thomas, dsp;
Mary, dsp;
Margaret.
The fourth son,
JOHN LLOYD BAGOT, of Ard and Ballymoe, Captain, 37th Foot, ADC to Lord Cornwallis during the American war, wedded, in 1775, Catherine Anne, daughter of Michael Cuffe, of Ballymoe, a descendent of James, Lord Tyrawley, and of Elizabeth Cuffe, alias Pakenham, created Countess of Longford.
He died in 1718, leaving issue,
John Cuffe, dsp;
William, dsp;
THOMAS NEVILLE, of whom we treat;
Cordelia; Louisa; Maria.
He was succeeded by his third son,
THOMAS NEVILLE BAGOT (1784-1863), of Ard and Ballymoe, who espoused, in 1811, Ellen, daughter of John Fallon, of County Roscommon, and had issue,
JOHN LLOYD NEVILLE BAGOT, his heir;
Bernard William;
Charles Augustus;
Christopher Neville, of Aughrane Castle;
Letitia Mary; Ellen; Catherine.
The eldest son,
JOHN LLOYD NEVILLE-BAGOT JP (1814-90), of Ballymoe, married, in 1843, Anne Georgina, daughter of Edward Henry Kirwan, of Ballyturin Castle, County Galway, and had issue,
EDWARD THOMAS LLOYD, his heir;
Edward Henry Kirwan;
John Christopher, of Ballyturin House;
Charles Henry, of Curraghmore;
Anna Isabella; Ellen Georgina.
Mr Neville-Bagot was succeeded by his eldest son,
EDWARD THOMAS LLOYD NEVILLE-BAGOT (1848-90), of Ballymoe and Aughrane, County Galway, who married, in 1876, Ellen, daughter of Francis Meagher, of Ballinderry, County Tipperary, and had issue, an only child,
MILO VICTOR NEVILLE-BAGOT (1880-), of Ballymoe and Aughrane, and Turin, Italy, who married, in 1908, Maria, only daughter of Signor Boccacio, of Turin, Italy, in a childless marriage.
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| Photo Credit: Dr Patrick Melvin & Eamonn de Burca |
AUGHRANE CASTLE (or Castle Kelly), near Ballygar, County Galway, was a castellated house of 19th century appearance.
It had small bartizans at the corners; plain windows with hood mouldings; and a simple, battlemented porch.
There was a gabled range at one end; a gabled tower behind.
It is said that the Bagot family played a very passive role in the life of the area, other than to collect rents due.
Christopher Bagot spent very little time on the estate and left the management to his two brothers, Charlie and John.
Christopher Bagot bought a house in a fashionable part of London, and entertained fairly lavishly.
Through these parties he came to know a young society lady of great charm and beauty called Alice Verner.
Within a short time they were married – believed to be in 1874.
In due course a son was born to them.
Mrs Christopher Bagot continued to have a high life and relations between herself and her husband soon became strained.
They returned to Castle Kelly in 1876, and some time later he banished her and their young son from his home.
He subsequently drew up a will leaving his entire estate to his brother, John Bagot.
His health failed rapidly and he died in 1877.
Mrs Bagot contested the last will made by her husband, and a much-publicised trial ensued at the Probate Court in Dublin.
The trial lasted for a month, and the court found in favour of Mrs Bagot and her son.
The Court administered the estate on their behalf until the young heir came of age.
The entire estate was offered for sale in 1903.
The Irish Land Commission was the purchaser, and later the Irish Forestry Commission acquired Castle Kelly and the 1,600 acres surrounding it.
The house was demolished in 1919.
First published in March, 2013.
Irish Historic Houses 